Jesus Christ Flashcards
Specification for the Person of Jesus Christ
Son of God (divinity expressed in his knowledge of God, miracles, resurrection)
Teacher of wisdom (on repentance/forgiveness or inner purity and moral motivation)
Liberator (challenge to political and/or religious authority)
Which Gospels were the ‘synoptic gospels’
Mark, Matthew, Luke
Cover the same material
Why is the Gospel of John unique
Emphasised Jesus’ divinity the most
What does Son of God mean to Jews at the time of Jesus
The individual was CHOSEN BY GOD but not divine, as his representative on Earth. He would free Israel and be referred to as the ‘anointed one’.
Most believed this was NOT JESUS
What did the title of Son of God mean to gentiles at the time of Jesus
The individual was DIVINE
What does the title Son of God mean to Christians today
Combination of the Jewish and Gentile perspectives
A UNIQUE title that identifies the DIVINITY of Jesus
What is the Hypostatic Union
The accepted Christian belief that Jesus is FULLY HUMAN and FULLY DIVINE.
What is the heresy - ADOPTIONISM
2nd century, Jesus was ADOPTED by God at his baptism then God left him when he died on the cross
JESUS - NOT DIVINE
What is the heresy - Docetism
2nd century - Jesus simply APPEARED human but was actually DIVINE.
What is the heresy - Arianism
4th century- Jesus was more than human but less than God the Father. DIVINE BUT LESS IMPORTANT
What is a creed + which are the most well known
STATEMENT OF BELIEF
Apostles creed ‘only begotten son’
Nicene Creed ‘begotten of the Father’
Why was John’s Gospel (written 💯 AD) emphatic of divinity
-make Christian beliefs CLEARER
-distinguish Christianity from Judaism
What are the seven ‘I am’ sayings in John
7 sayings that distinguish the divinity of Jesus
For example ‘I am the bread of life’
Why do the seven I am statements indicate divinity
They are used in the OLD testament for the unspoken name of God, for example when God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush.
SHOWS HOW GOD AND JESUS ARE ONE
How did Jesus show his humanity
- showed emotion and anger (clearing the temple)
- showed fear of death (Garden of Gethsemane)
- disappointed with disciples
- tempted by the devil but did not sin
What shows that Jesus lacked full knowledge
Did not know who touched his cloak when healing the bleeding woman
Shows HUMANITY
How do signs of his humanity not disprove Jesus as divine
The hypostatic union views Him as fully human and fully divine, so it merely proves this doctrine, not discrediting divinity
Did Jesus ever use the title ‘Son of God’ for himself?
No, using ‘Son of Man’ instead. Perhaps to:
Warn off unwanted attention
Maybe Son of God was written in later to separate Early Christians from Jews
What suggests an intimate relationship between Jesus and God
- addressed God as ‘Abba’ or Dad
- prays to God ‘not as I will, but as you will’
- when lost in the Temple as a child he calls it ‘my father’s house’
Where in Johns Gospel does Jesus suggest he IS God
‘The Father and I are one’
‘Whoever has seen me has seen the Father’
Where in John does Jesus suggest he is LESSER than God
‘The Father is greater than I’
What did Karl Rahner refer to Jesus’ knowledge as
An Onion: top layers are human self awareness, deeper layers are divine consciousness
What did Gerard O’Collins say on the complexities of human emotion and mind
It is almost impossible to truly know oneself, applying to Jesus too. Difficult to study any part of the inner human experience, so knowing Jesus’ is impossible
What are the four areas of Jesus’ miracles
1.healing the sick
2.power over nature
3.exorcisms (casts out demons)
4.raising the dead
What was the greatest miracle
The resurrection, sets Jesus apart from other miracle workers
How does Jesus’ conception make him unique
Viewed as a miracle, Mary was a virgin and the pregnancy was the result of the Holy Spirit
How does Jesus’ relationship with God make him unique
God appears at his baptism and transfiguration, addressing Jesus as his son.
Baptism ‘This is my Son’
Miracles do NOT show divinity: magicians
Magicians were commonplace at Jesus’ time, they do not mean divinity
Miracles do NOT show divinity: prophets
Moses parted the Red Sea
Prophet Elijah raised someone from the dead in OT
Jesus’ miracles show he WAS divine: Resurrection
Most significant event in his life and ultimate proof of divinity.
No others bring THEMSELVES back from death
Jesus’ miracles show he WAS divine: literal interpretation
- belief in the resurrection is necessary to being Christian
- Gospel accounts include an empty tomb (Paul doesn’t), evidence of a literal resurrection
What difference is there between St Paul’s account of the resurrection and the Gospel
Paul does not mention an empty tomb
What did Rudolf Bultmann argue about the Bible
That we should demythologise the Bible to make it more accessible to a modern audience
What is the Messaianic secret
Jesus told those witnessing miracles not to talk about it.
Distinguishes him from magicians at the time who sought an audience
How was the way Jesus performed miracles different to other miracle workers
- healed individuals by forgiving sins (only God can forgive sins)
- calmed the storm (only God controls nature)
What states that miracles show Jesus’ divinity
- Catholic Church ‘bear witness that he is the Son of God’
- John’s Gospel each miracle is a ‘sign’ of divinity
SON OF GOD SET TEXT: Mark 6:47-52
Jesus walks on Water and Calms the storm
Why might Jesus not have walked on water
- too dark, disciples were tired and couldn’t make out where he was walking (dream like Account)
- Sea of Galilee is notoriously foggy and shallow
SON OF GOD SET TEXT: John 9:1-41
Jesus heals a man born blind
Also viewed as symbolic healing of blindness AND healing on the sabbath (people above laws)
How did Jesus teach
- Parables
- Short, memorable sayings
- Actions
Where does Jesus’ wisdom come from
The fact that he is God alongside human.
Encounters with heaven gave him the wisdom communicated in his teaching
What religion would accept Jesus being just a wisdom teacher
Islam
What did CS Lewis say about considering Jesus NOT DIVINE
‘He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell’
🤪🍳👹
What does Matthew’s Gospel teacher on forgiveness
- It must be excessive (forgive 70 x 7 times)
- we must pray daily for forgiveness
- forgiveness comes before worship
Where does the Bible teach that outcasts must be drawn back to society
Jesus healing and welcoming Matthew (tax collectors were viewed as traitors by Jews) as a disciple
What was at the heart of Jesus’ announcement of the coming kingdom of God
A call to repentance or ‘metanoia’
A radical change of mind-set
SET TEXT JESUS THE WISDOM TEACHER (forgiveness and repentance): Luke 15:11-32
The Parable of the Lost Son
Forgiveness is total from God and it is never too late to repent.
Warns against judgement to those who need to repent
Why did Jesus teach on inner purity and moral motivation
Criticised the authorities for being more concerned over outward appearances of their religion than with what happened in their heart
The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector: inner purity and moral motivation
Pharisee (religious authority): prays in thanks for being above others and better for his fasting and tithe
Tax Collector (shunned by Jews): prays for mercy for his sins
INTERNAL MORE IMPORTANT
Teaching of the parable of the sheep and the goats
God will judge based on our attitude towards others
Teaching of the parable of the rich man and Lazarus
the Rich will not be rewarded in heaven
Why was keeping the Sabbath day holy significant in Jesus’ time
Fourth of the Ten Commandments
Basis of social justice
Jesus’ commentary on the Sabbath
‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath’
Laws are there to help us, not to restrict us from helping others. We should not be blindly obedient
WISDOM TEACHER SET TEXT (inner purity and moral motivation): Matthew 5:17-48
Sermon on the Mount
Demands a higher stand of righteousness than merely following the existing law, go beyond what is expected
Sermon on the mount teachings
- do not murder extends to do not be angry
- do not commit adultery extends to do not be lustful
- an eye for an eye changes to turn the other cheek
- ‘love your neighbour’ to ‘love your enemies’
What was the relationship between religion and politics in 1st century Palestine
Totally inseparable, a challenge to religious authority would be to political too
What is typically argued about Jesus as a revolutionary figure
Most Churches reject this view as it could undermine his teachings on peace and his spiritual mission.
What is the significance of Jesus being a liberator
Model of how to challenge an unjust world.
Christians must challenge what is unjust.
What were the Zealots
A small revolutionary group who wanted to overthrow Roman rule by force
Why did Jews desire a warrior Messiah
Roman rule led to heavy taxation and much poverty
Jews faced oppression throughout history (enslavement in Egypt)
What links were there between Jesus and the Zealots
- Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot were followers of Jesus (Iscariot similar to Sicarii, another name for Zealots)
- Jesus stated ‘I did not come to bring peace, but a sword’
Why is Jesus’ Triumphal entry significant
Entry as prophesied in the Old Testament
What type of crime was Jesus put to death for
A Civic Crime
On grounds of rebellion and treason, Romans saw him as a threat of a revolutionary
Jesus promoted peace when..
He stopped his disciples from defending him with violence in the Garden of Gethsemane
He announces in his sermon ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’
What title did Jesus refuse
He refused Messianic titles, they were given to him by others.
Does not confirm himself as ‘King of the Jews
Jesus supported the compliance saying…
Give back to Caesar’s what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s
What did Jesus say of the governing authorities
‘Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established’
What did Jesus say that proves his focus was beyond reforming this world
‘My Kingdom is not of this world.’
LIBERATOR SET TEXT: Mark 5:24-34
Healing of the woman who bled for twelve years
- he overlooks her being an outcast (ritually unclean and a woman)
- brings her back into society by healing her
How does the bleeding woman show Jesus’ divinity
He heals her without being aware of it
LIBERATOR SET TEXT: Luke 10:25-37
Parable of the Good Samaritan
Jewish Audience would understand Samaritans as the enemies of Jews
-love your enemies
-people above laws
